It's been an excellent regular season for Aldershot Town and their followers - now come the play-offs and the visit of Ebbsfleet United on Wednesday evening.

Supporter Lewis Blain gives his verdict of the season - and says he could be coming and going...

The Shots have finished fifth and gained a successive season in the National League play-offs which is some achievement by Gary Waddock, James Rowe and the rest of the team - even more so, as it approaches the five-year anniversary of the club being put into administration.

There is no doubt the club has progressed on and off the pitch since that day.

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This year, the very same match attracted the highest attendance of the season (4,358). In between then and now was an erroneous cut-rate gamble, which for some may well have been the final straw, that didn’t pay off in Dundee’s finest Barry Smith.

Back-to-back campaigns culminating in the play-offs on a sustainable budget is some accomplishment, remember that.

At times this season there have been understandable frustrations, the side hasn’t played as well as last season but we still finished fifth – without Kundai Benyu, without Idris Kanu and for the most part through injury and then an eventual sale, without Bernard Mensah.

The league’s best defence in 2016-17 is now the seventh best having conceded 15 goals more. Throw in the fact that Nick Arnold was practically injured for the entire season along with infrequent spurts throughout the season of injury between the rest of the squad. Fifth is a marvellous finish.

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Despite this I can’t but help feel a shake-up is needed. This time last year a number of players were already signed on for next season, this year there has been none so far other than Adam McDonnell and George Fowler who signed longer deals when they re-signed permanently. So maybe Gary and James feel the same.

There is a chance of playing at Wembley as well as making the move into the Football League at stake this week. Not only that, I believe many players are playing for a contract next season, especially in terms of their Aldershot careers.

We have a talented goalkeeper on loan from Reading in Lewis Ward, I doubt he gets released – even more so if they are playing League One. Jake Cole has hardly featured this side of the season and is unlikely to want to remain, a tough decision is to be made here.

In the defence, our two full-backs and most consistent performers Cheye Alexander and Lewis Kinsella will have Football League offers.

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Jake Gallagher is a tough one, we are a much better side when he is in the starting line-up. He does the dirty work and plays for the badge, something not many in the squad do. I find it hard to see him being kept on should we beat the odds and go up. Shamir Fenelon has blown hot and cold all season but did have his best ever goal scoring season with 11 goals. Someone may take a punt on him.

James Rowe, Fabian Robert, Josh McQuoid and Bobby Joe-Taylor should all be gone. There is a lack of positives to say about any of this quartet. Meaning, the wide positions will be a key spot to improve in the off-season. The holes left by Mensah and Kanu are still clear. One player that has been linked is Maidenhead United’s Harry Pritchard and I would be interested to see if that comes to fruition.

Up front, Nicke Kabamba will go back to Portsmouth while there are tough decisions to be made on Matt McClure and Scott Rendell.

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The latter has also had ‘terrace chatter’ over a possible move to big spenders Eastleigh, he may want to secure a last financial payday before he bows out, which is fair play and I wouldn’t discredit him for doing so with his young family.

His 12 goals have been important to us this season and I hope he stays on. McClure doesn’t score as many as he should but his work rate amongst other assets such as his first touch, game management and flair make it hard to push him out. He is a lot better when paired with someone and if we change to a similar system then by all means keep him.

Finding that illustrious 20-plus goal striker is a headache for nearly every manager at this level and beyond.

It isn’t easy to find one, and when you do it isn’t easy to keep hold of them. We took a punt on Shaun Okojie which didn’t work out so it can just show the kind of risk versus reward that comes with finding the one. I’ve asked myself the question how many would the 2013-14 Brett Williams have scored in this exact side – he bagged 24 under Andy Scott that year…

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Whether The Shots are back in the Football League or back making the trips to Wrexham, Halifax or Dagenham, there will be change this off season. The magical management duo are only two seasons into their great plan, faith is in them to recruit well and go well again next year.